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Interested in Field Trips?

One of the fascinating aspects of membership in a mineralogical, gem or lapidary club is having knowledgeable guides to collecting sites. Sometimes we visit quarries, little known road cuts, and other public lands. When permission is available, we may also visit private properties, always respectful of the environment and the rights of others.

Recent MSDC field trips:

West Virginia Corridor H - Professor Shelley Jaye led us in a full-day caravan to explore geology and collect minerals and fossils.

Jan. or Feb. 2017 on a Saturday - Hands-on exploration of Thin Sections at the geology lab of Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale. Using polarizing microscopes, we'll be able to examine some of its 1200 specimens of 30-micron-thick section of a rock. Member John Weidner and others will guide us to use the equipment and see these amazing specimens. Geology Lab, CS Building, Room 217, Annandale Campus of Northern Virginia Community College. Parking is best accessed off Wakefield Chapel Road.

TBD - Behind-the-scenes tour of new mineralogical research technology at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Mineral Sciences Department.